Arman Tatoyan: Armenia Must Disclose Number of Captives Held in Azerbaijan

The Human Rights Defender has issued a statement emphasizing that the Armenian government's approach of not disclosing the number of Armenian captives held in Azerbaijan is unacceptable, citing the issue as having a "hyper-sensitive nature." The statement reads:

“The rule of law implies a presumption of public disclosure for any data of public significance. When the government rejects the disclosure of any data, it must demonstrate what legitimate interest it is pursuing by doing so. The state's rejection must be substantiated.

The Armenian government justified its absence of number disclosure regarding captives held in Azerbaijan with its recent official response, merely stating that the issue is of a "hyper-sensitive nature." This approach is not acceptable.

In reality, by disclosing the number of Armenian captives held in Azerbaijan, it would: 1) significantly increase international pressure on Azerbaijan regarding the release and return of captives, 2) create grounds for imposing additional obligations on Azerbaijan, 3) raise the level of protection for the captives held in Azerbaijan, 4) publicly underscore the state's respect for the rights of the captives and their families, 5) openly highlight the state’s responsible attitude toward this matter of public significance, and 6) ultimately, this action would eliminate or significantly reduce any attempts by any party to mislead the public with false information and thus exploit the situation.

Therefore, the competent body of the Republic of Armenia must disclose the numbers of Armenian captives that, according to available data or its belief, are currently held captive in Azerbaijan.